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No. 617,048. Patented Jan. 3, I899. J. RAMSDEN, A. TAYLOR & E. FIRTH.

SELF ACTING MULE.

(Application filed Mar. 21, 1898.,

'2 Sheets-Sheeu' I.

(No Model.)

THE mmms PETERS co, PHDTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, a c

No. 6|7,048. Patented Jan. 3, I899. J. RAMSIJEN, A. TAYLOR & E. FIRTH. SELF ACTING MULE.

(Application filed Mar. 21, 1898.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

1w: NORRYS PETERS ca, FHOTO-LIYHQ, WASHINGTON, n cy rrnn ATVENT .TOE RAMSDEN, ARTIIUR TAYLOR, AND ERNEST FIRTH, OF BATLEY, ENGLAND.

SELF-ACTING IVIULE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,048, dated January 3, 1899. Application filed March 21, 1898. Serial No. 674,652. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOE RAMsDEN, AR- THUR TAYLOR, and ERNEST FIRTH, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Batley, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Acting Mules; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for crossing the yarn in building cops upon the spindles of self-acting mules and for giving a more uniform motion to the spindles during the period of winding.

To the aforesaid purpose ourinvention consists of the novel and peculiar arrangement and construction of the several parts of the mechanism, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating our invention, Figure l is a sectional side elevation of so much of the outer end piece of thehead-stock of a self-acting mule and of the mule'carriage as is essential to show the application of our improvements, the mule-carriage being shown about midway of its return traverse from the extremity of the draw to the beam. Fig. 2 is an opposite side elevation of the end piece of the mule. Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking in the direction of arrow to, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail hereinafter referred to, and Fig. 5 is an elevation of a cross-wound cop produced according to our invention.

In the drawings like letters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout.

Referring to the drawings, letter a represents the framework of the head-stock at the extremity of the draw or stretch of the mule-carriage b, the mule-carriage c, the tin cylinder mounted on shaft 0, journaled in bearings in said carriage; (Z, the spindles, which are driven by bands d from the tin cylinder c; e, the faller-leg, connected at e to the frontfaller f, secured on the shaft f, to which are secured arms 9, (one only being shown,) carrying the front faller-wire 9, extending from end to end of the mule and being actuated by said fallcr-leg to guide the yarn upon the spindles during the return traverse of the carriage 1) from the extremity of the draw to the beam. h is the counter-faller shaft, the parts connected with which are omitted, and i the copping-rail, resting at each end on shaper-plates i, of which one only is shown.

The faller-leg c at the end of the outward traverse of the mule-carriage Z) is raised up until the foot thereof passes over and engages with the stud or rollj on the end of leverj, pivoted atj to a bracket at the rear of the mule-carriage, said lever being supported by pulley 0r bowl 3'', mounted on a stud secured to the free end of the lever, which pulley rests on and is adapted to ride over the upper surface of the copping-rail 2', whose adjustment vertically downward gradually lowers the faller-leg e to raise the front taller-wire g from its lowest position at the commencement of the cop to its highest position on the completion of the cop to build up the cop to the full height and shape required. WVhen the carriage arrives at the beam, a fixed stoppiece (not shown) acts on the faller-leg and forces it off the stud j, against which it rests idly during the spinning of the yarn or outward traverse of the mule-carriage, the descent of the faller-leg carrying the front fallerwire over to the front of the spindles cl, out of the way.

In addition to the ordinary movement given to the front faller-wire g for guiding the yarn to build up each successive chase from the base to the nose of the cop, and which is derived through lever j and faller-leg e from the copping-rail 2', our invention consists, first, in the means for crossing and recrossing the yarn as it is wound upon the cop to produce a cross-wound cop, such as shown at Fig. 5, this method comprising the reciprocation of the faller-wire during its ordinary motion in guiding the yarn to the cop, whereby the yarn is rapidly guided up and down within the limits of the movement of the front faller-wire and causes it to be crossed and re crossed from left to right and right to left, one turn of yarn being crossed at an opposing angle and the turn of yarn wound on the cop as many times as may be desired. The means for giving reciprocatory motion to the front faller-wire g at each windin g on of yarn N yyyy IOO comprises a series of corrugations or opposing inclined planes 7; formed on the track of the copping-rail. As the bowl or pulley j travels along the track of the copping-rail it rides up and down over said corrugations or opposing inclined surfaces,as is illustrated in full line and in dotted line in Fig. 1, and gives a reciprocatory motion to the lever j, which when the faller-leg e is engaged on the stud j on said lever receives this reciprocatory motion and through fallerf and arm 9 imparts a reciprocatory motion to the front faller-wire g. Thus while the ordinary copping motion is not altered or varied in any way from that which is common to all selfacting mules we add a reciprocatory motion to the front faller-wire, derived from the undulating surface of the copping-rail, which causes the yarn to be coustantlycrossed and recrossed in building up the cop,such crossing and recrossing of the turns of yarn giving a firm compact cop which can be built upon the bare spindle or on thin paper tubes placed thereon and used as weft without requiring a bobbin or spool to hold it in the shuttle. When placed in the shuttle, the yarn is unwound froin the inside or core of the cop, it being drawn from the base thereof, as indicated at Fig. 5. To increase or decrease the number of crossings of the yarn in winding, copping-rails having a larger or smaller number of depressions or opposing inclined surfaces can be substituted.

In order to either lengthen or shorten the nose of the cop, as required, we form a slot Z in the end of the faller f, in which slot is a screw Z, having on its outer end a ratchetwheel m and a lever n, which carries a pawl 'It. (See Fig. 4.) The screwlworks through a block Z, carried by the end of the faller leg 6, and as said screw is rotated in one direction the sliding block Z is caused to travel along the screw Z from the outer end of the slot to the inner end thereof, and thereby gradually reduce the leverage and motion of the faller f as the building of the cop proceeds. The screw Z is actuated when the faller-leg e is forced off the studj on the mulecarriage arriving at the beam by means of a fixed stop-piece 0, (see Fig. 4,) with which the lever 42 engages as the faller-leg descends, and being thus turned on its center by said stop-piece the pawl n is caused to turn the ratchet-wheel m a distance equal to one or two teeth, thereby giving the requisite rotation to the screw to advance the sliding block Z the proper distance nearer to the center or fulcrum of the faller f.

For the purpose of giving more uniformity in the regulation of the speed of the spindles during the building up of the cross-wound cop, which we find to be essential to obtain the best results, we dispense with the ordinary quadrant which has heretofore been employed to regulate the speed of the spindles, and in its place we employ a scroll 19, mounted on a shaft 17, journaled in bearings in the framework a, one end of the shaft projecting beyond the framework and having a pinion 17) secured thereon. This pinion p meshes with the thread of a screw or worm g on a vertical shaft q, supported at the upper end in a bracket c and at the lower end resting in a foot-step ct". The screw or worm q is secured rotatively to said shaft q by a key registering in a keyway cut in the shaft and is free to move vertically thereon within the limits of its length On the shaft q and under the lower end of the screw or worm q is placed a loose boss or plate q, having hooks q secured thereto, to which hooks are attached the ends of two chains 4' 1", whose opposite ends are secured to a barrel r, mounted on a shaft 7*", journaled in hearings in the framework to. on the shaft 0' is a spurwheel r, which meshes with a pinion s on the shaft 8, whereon is mounted the ordinary grooved pulley s",around which is wound the cord s,which drives the winding-motion. This shaft 5 forms the first-motion shaft of our improved winding-motion,and when it is rotated by the machine to draw out the mule-carriage the motion is conveyed through the gears s and r to the shaft r,which rotates the barrel r and causes it to wind on the chains 0" 0', whereby the screw or worm q is drawn up the shaft from the position shown in full line in Fig. 2 to that shown in dotted line, same figure, this vertical upward movement of the screw q acting as a rack on the pinion p and rotating the scroll-shaft to the extent of one revolution, which is the amount of movement we find to answer. The rotation of the scroll takes up the winding-chain t, whichis secured at one end to the largest diameter of the volute of the scroll and at its opposite end in the ordinary way to the winding-barrel u on the face of the spur-wheel a, which meshes with the pinion c on the tin-cylinder shaft 0, as heretofore. The winding-chain is fully wound around the scroll p at the commencement of the building of the cops and delivers first from the smallest diameter of the volute of the scroll and then from the larger diameters of said scroll, which gives the amount of unwinding of the chain required in precisely the same manner as the ordinary quadrant, but with a much more uniform motion. The greatest amount of winding takes place when the chain 25 is paid out from the smallest diameter of the scroll, this being gradually decreased as the abrupt taper of the base of the cop is built up by the shifting of the initial point of delivery of the chain farther and farther up the volute of the scroll until the full diameter of the cop is reached, when the delivery takes place from the highest point reached on the scroll throughout the remainder of the winding on of the yarn, the action following in all respects that of the ordinary quadrant for regulating the rate of speed of the spindles in winding on the yarn.

The adjustment of the scroll rotatively to regulate the rate of speed of the spindles is effected by the same endless cord t" which is at present employed to adjust the sliding block in the quadrant to which the end of the winding-chain is attached. This cord 12 is passed around a grooved pulley q', secured to the lower end of the vertical shaft q. Then the cord is traversed by frictional contact from the well-known mechanism on the head-stock provided for that purpose, it turns the vertical shaft q, and therefore the screw or worm g, which through pinion 19 gives a partial rotation to the scroll p and thus adjusts its position-self-actingly to regulate the speed of the spindles. The scroll 1) may also be set in the first instance to deliver from any point thereof, according to the class of yarn being spun or for like reasons, by means of a handlever, fitted on the upper end of the vertical shaft q.

lVe claim as our invention- 1. In a spinning-mule, the combination, with a pivoted faller provided with a slot in one of its end portions, of a block slidable in the said slot toward and away from the fallerpivot, an adjusting-screw engaging with the end portion of the faller and the said block, said screw being arranged substantially radial of the faller-pivot and provided with means whereby it may be revolved without stopping the machine, and a faller-leg for reciprocating the faller, said faller-leg being pivoted to the said block, substantially as set forth.

2. In a spinning-mule, the combination, with a pivoted faller provided with a slot in one of its end portions; of a block slidable in the said slot toward and away from the fallerpivot, a screw engaging with the end portion of the faller and the said block, a faller-leg for reciprocating the faller, said faller-leg being pivoted to the said block, a ratchet-wheel secured on the said screw, a pivoted lever and pawl for turning the ratchet-wheel, and a stationary stop for moving the said lever each time the faller-leg is moved in one direction, whereby the motion of the faller is changed at each reciprocation of the carriage, substantially as set forth.

3. In a spinning-mule, the combination, with a stationary frame, a volute scroll journaled in the said frame, a toothed pinion secured concentric with the said scroll, a toothed rack carried by the said frame, and means for moving the said rack longitudinally whereby the said scroll is revolved; of a slidable mulecarriage, a barrel journaled in the said carriage and operating to revolve the spindles, and a flexible connection having one of its ends secured to the said barrel and its other end secured to the said scroll, substantially as set forth.

4. In a spinningmule, the combination, with a stationary frame, a volute scroll journaled in the said frame, a toothed pinion secured concentric with the said scroll, a shaft j ournaled in the said frame and provided with means for revolving it, a screw slidable longitudinally on the said shaft and revolving with it, said screw operating as a toothed rack and engaging with the said pinion, and driving devices for sliding the said screw on its shaft and thereby revolving the said scroll; of a slidable mule-carriage, a barrel journaled in the said carriage and operating to revolve the spindles, and a flexible connection having one of its ends secured to the said barrel and its other end secured to the said scroll, substantially as set forth.

5. In a spinning-mule, the combination, with a barrel for revolving the spindles, of a single revoluble volute scroll, a single flexible connection wound on the said barrel and scroll, a toothed pinion secured concentric with the scroll, a toothed rack engaging with the said pinion, and means for moving the said rack longitudinally, whereby the scroll is revolved, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a single revoluble volute scroll for driving the spindles of a spin hing-mule, and a toothed pinion secured concentric with the scroll; of a screw which engages with the said pinion and operates as a toothed rack, means for moving the screw longitudinally and thereby revolving the said scroll, means for revolving the said screw and thereby regulating the speed of the scroll without varying the speed at which the said screw is moved longitudinally, and a stationary frame supporting all the said parts substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a single volute scroll for driving the spindles of a spinningmule, a shaft 19 for revolving the said scroll, and a toothed pinion secured on the said shaft; of a revoluble shaft q, means for revolving the shaft q, a screw slidable longitudinally on the shaft q and revolving with it, said screw operating as a toothed rack and engaging with the said pinion, driving devices for sliding the said screw on its shaft and thereby revolving the said scroll, and a stationary frame supporting all the said parts, substantially as set forth'. 7

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOE RAMSDEN. ARTHUR TAYLOR. ERNEST FIRTH.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR CROSSLEY, THos. JAoKsoN. 

